HHOF Profiles: Examining the many side of Jeremy Roenick

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The Toronto Sun concludes our look at the 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame induction class with the eventful career of Jeremy Roenick:

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The way Jeremy Roenick spoke of re-arranging Doug Gilmour’s grille perfectly sums up the polarizing presence of him getting into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“Dougie and I are great friends, with the exception of me knocking his teeth out,” Roenick said at the Hall, prior to Monday’s official induction of himself and six others. “Every time I see him I say: ‘Geez Dougie, you have a nice smile’ and he’ll go: ‘F— you, J.R.!”

“But our respect for each other (Gilmour preceded him in the Hall by 13 years) is amazing. I remember that one series (1995 when Roenick’s Chicago Blackhawks took the Leafs out in seven games) was a battle, like the one in Philadelphia (nine years later when J.R. was a Flyer).”

Philly coach Ken Hitchcock saw that treacherous Eddie Haskell side of Roenick, how he could enrage foes, engage fans, but most importantly enter the league’s pantheon of excellence as its third highest American-born scorer.

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“When he was in Chicago, I hated him,” Hitchcock told nhl.com. “He hurt a lot of our players, and he was reckless. But he was so competitive and so tough that you wanted him on your team. Then all of a sudden, I’m coaching him.”
Roenick never lost that edge, even after retiring 1,363 games later and starting a media career. He spoke his mind, but lack of a filter hurt him, led to his dismissal from NBC and possibly contributed to his long spell in the Hall’s parking lot.

He wrote two books, one of them humbly titled J.R., My Life as the Most Outspoken, Fearless and Hard-Hitting Man In Hockey.

Eventually, the selection committee warmed to him, about the same time Roenick was doing some serious personal evaluation.

“I think I had to take a look at my life and how I was living it,” an emotional Roenock said the day he was floored by the call from the Hall, “both with my work, with the things that I was doing, battling mental issues and things that I just was not very happy about.

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“Sometimes you have to make a life change and just make yourself accountable for a lot of things. I made a promise to myself that I was going to be more grateful of my friendships, my family and the things I have and not take things for granted.

“You just have to take a look in the mirror and know you need to be a better person and I did that. My life has just been one good story after another since that happened.”

Roenick spent the past few days thanking those a round him and recounting his first hockey memory, a Hartford Whalers fan watching Gordie Howe practise when Mr. Hockey shovelled some snow on to his stick blade and playfully dumped it on Roenick’s rinkside seat. He was hooked on hockey and the attention it brought him.

“He loved the camera,” Chicago teammate Chris Chelios told nhl.com. “He had licence plates that were personalized ’STYLES’ or something. He was very outgoing, very approachable with the fans and that’s why they loved him so much.”

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Roenick enjoys new pursuits, such as being CEO of a construction company — “I’m the Chief Entertainment Officer,” — but is angling to get back into broadcasting, citing the enormous popularity of Charles Barkley on NBA pre-game, halftime and post-game shows. He points out that some people watch Barkley more than the actual game.

“I do miss going into people’s living rooms, telling them what I think of the game, what I see. Because I see things a little differently, saying things that don’t make sense, making up words that don’t really exist. Just have fun.”

JEREMY ROENICK 

POSITION; Centre 

BORN: Jan. 17, 1970, Boston, Mass. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

Amassed 1,585 regular season and playoff points in 1,517 National Hockey League games … Is currently 48th in NHL career regular season points … Recorded two 50-goal seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks … Third American to score 500 goals.  

HALL CALL:

Led the 1989 world junior championships in scoring and held the American record for most points in that tournament until 2010 … Played in nine NHL All-Star Games and was named to the 1991 Canada Cup all-tournament team … Had 23 points in 23 international games for Team USA, member of the U.S. HHOF.  

DID YOU KNOW:

Became the first player in NHL history to wear No. 97. He’d been traded to Phoenix from Chicago and found his regular 27 belonged to Teppo Numminen. He wore it for Howe and Bobby Hull who were famous 9’s and for his son, Brett, born in ‘97.    

[email protected] 

X: @sunhornby 

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